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Mixer

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How to get there

From the Window menu, choose Mixer. Or, from the View menu, choose Studio View.

What it does

The Mixer contains two parts, a master set of controls and a set of controls for each staff in the score. The master controls can be used to adjust the volume and reverb of the overall output much like the master controls on a conventional mixer. The set of controls for each staff can be used to adjust the volume and pan value relative to other staves in the score much like the volume sliders and panning wheels for tracks on a conventional mixer. All settings defined in the mixer are post-processed and applied over the top of MIDI data that already exists in the score score including MIDI Tool data, Human Playback data and/or expressions and articulations defined for playback. In other words the mixer doesn’t change the contour of the playback, only the overall output or the staff relationship.

Note: Although the mixer displays separate controls for each staff, only staves of unique channels can be adjusted independantly. For example, if your brass quintet contains two trumpet staves, both set to channel 1, all mixer adjustment to one trumpet staff will apply to both. If you want to assign a staff a unique channel you can do so by defining a "New Instrument" in the Instrument List. (To do so, in the Instrument List choose View by Instruments and click New Instrument. Choose the same instrument sound (patch) for your new instrument and assign it a different channel).

Settings applied to staves in the Mixer are dynamically linked to both the Staff Controls and the Instrument List. For example, an increase to the volume for one staff changes the volume setting in the Instrument List and Staff Controls uniformely. The same is true for the other settings.

[Pan dial]. Use this dial to control the pan value for each channel. Click and drag this dial clockwise to pan the channel right or counterclockwise to pan the channel left. Playback volume will be weighted to the left or right speaker accordingly.
M (Mute). Click this button to indicate you want the channel to be silent when you play the score.
S (Solo). When you click in the Solo button, you instruct Finale to mute all other staves. In other words, you’ve just isolated a staff so that only it will play back, and all the other staves are silent. (You could achieve the same effect by clicking in the Mute button for all other staves).

You can solo more than one staff, if you wish—for example, you can solo two or three staves, and all the others will be silent. In fact, you can solo all staves, although there wouldn’t be much point, since you may as well solo none of them.

R (Record). Use these buttons to specifiy which staves wyou would like to record into with HyperScribe.

If you’re not multitrack recording (Record into One Staff or Split into Two Staves is selected in the Record Mode submenu of the HyperScribe menu), you don’t need to use the Mixer to specify which staff to record into; simply click the staff in the score that you want to record into. If, however, you prefer to use the Playback Control’s Record button (instead of clicking a measure in the score), then you must use the Mixer’s (or Instrument List’s) R parameter to indicate the staves in which you would like to record. (Note you can use the Instrument List to specify individual layers for recording. See Instrument List).

If you would like to record into two or more staves simultaneously, first, from the HyperScribe menu, choose Record Mode, and then Multitrack Record. Then click the R button for all staves you would like to record into. The buttons turn yellow, indicating that Finale will record into those staves. Click the Record button in the Playback Controls to begin recording. (Also, when you click the HyperScribe Tool, the HyperScribe frame appears on the selected staves.)

[Volume Slider]. Use this slider to adjust the volume for this staff (and all other staves set to the same channel). Note you can enter a specific volume value for each channel in the Instrument List.
PC [Program Change]. This indicator displays the MIDI program number selected for this staff. You can click this drop-down menu to Visit the SoftSynth dialog box where you can modify Finale’s Sound Font output, the Instrument Definition dialog box where you can change the name, channel, patch, and bank for the instrumnet, or, choose a new GM instrument for this staff.

If you’ve assigned several staves to the same Instrument, once again remember that they’re all linked to the same Program. Therefore, if you edit the Program assignment for any one of these staves, the Program for all of them will change.

[Channel]. This region displays the MIDI channel assignment for each staff, from 1 to 128. To change this number, double-click, and type a new channel.

If you’ve assigned several staves to the same Instrument, by the way, remember that they’re all linked to the same MIDI channel. Therefore, if you edit the Chan. assignment for any one of these staves, the Chan. for all of them will change to match, because any given Instrument can only have one channel assignment. (If you truly want a staff to have an independent MIDI channel, first assign it to a new Instrument.)

Instrument. This is the name of the instrument assigned to the staff (as shown in the Instruemnt List). You can edit this name (or define a new instrument) in the Instrument Definition dialog box.
Reverb Level. The reverb dial controls the overall amount of decay, or length of time a sound persists after released. This dial applies to the overall output. Click and drag this dial clockwise to increase the reverb effect, or counterclockwise to decrease the reverb effect.
Room Size. This setting has the effect of simulating a room size to make your music sound as though it is being performed in a small room, concert hall, or anything in between. Click and drag the dial clockwise to increase the ‘size’ of the room.
Master Mute. Click this button to mute all staves. When you do so, the Mute button is activated in all Staff Controls and staff Mixer controls. You might use the Master Mute button if you plan to mute most staves and audition only a select few.
Master Solo. Click this button to solo all staves. When you do so, the Solo button is activated in all Staff Controls and staff Mixer controls.
Master Volume. Click and drag this slider up to increase the volume of the overall output, or down to decrease the overall volume.
Instrument List. Click this button to open the Instrument List where you can define new instruments, and make additional volume and pan settings for individual layers and chords. See Instrument List.